Nice to see a President that actually takes care of veterans and gives them, and their families, the respect and care they deserve. Others just wrapped themselves in the flag and SAID they were behind our veterans, while doing nothing. PBO actually works hard on their behalf and truly acknowledges the sacrifices that they make.Proud moment for this man and his family…..

Hi back at you, gc!!!! Are you TRYING to make me come find you:) Dinner at the shore. Delightful! Thank you so much for the invitation…wish I could take you up on that. Maybe one day:) Think of me though….I’ll be there in mind and spirit. Enjoy,and have a wonderful, restful weekend. Hugs!

Yeah, at that’s the arm with the IV lead still hanging out of it. Wow. LOVE that shot. Which means he probably had the IV removed so he could give a proper hand shake to the President of the United States. Even the fact that he pinned the purple heart on his t-shirt. KInda reminds me of the gentleman at Walter Reed, (I think he was a photographer…) who put on his prosthetic legs when he heard that Mrs. O was there. He wanted to stand up when she came in the room.

The soldiers and others who have actually witnessed combat know. THEY KNOW, that this President and First Lady put their ‘money where their mouth is’ when it comes to supporting the ‘wounded warriors.’ God Bless them all.

Hi,sherijr….saw that piece that Deaniac wrote over at People’s View. Perfect. I tried to watch O’Donnall last night and had to turn it off….I just wonder how many people in the LGBT community feel that this idiot doesn’t speak for them and is sucking all the oxygen out of the air? Choi went on and on about the President lying. Really? I would just like to know if HE was lying to the govt. when he enlisted in the service, because last I checked, DADT JUST WAS GOTTEN RID OF…so, I guess that means that he enlisted in the service KNOWING that he lied to get in!

Much as I despise Choi and his childish antics.. he didn’t lie. the point of DADT was to allow folks to enlist without having to tell.. thus no lying. When I enlisted over 30 years ago, we had to answer the question: Are you Homosexual… what DADT did was to make it unlawful for the government to even ask the question. That is why I’ve always had a problem with the current hate about DADT.. at the time that it was enacted it was indeed a step toward non-discrimmination of gays.. obviously it is long past time that it was done away with.. however at the time it was enacted it was better than how things used to be.

I don’t think Choi can hurt the ‘gay’ movement.. I don’t think he has the ability. I also don’t think he can hurt President Obama.. sure he’ll garner ‘followers’ – hell even Michele Bachmann can get ‘followers’😉 Some folks like crazy.. they enjoy the mayhem of it all. My step-brother is gay and I’m relatively certain he would find Mr. Choi to be representative of nothing but Mr. Choi🙂🙂

I think its important to keep in mind that Dan Choi obviously hates Barack Obama… hates him sooo much that he is willing to help elect a republican president- who will undo and put a halt to any and all agenda that allows for equal rights of GLBT. Thats a whole lotta cutting off of one’s nose to spite their face. He is willing to take the entire GLBT community with him. Thus it would behoove folks who prefer civil rights over no civil rights to really consider who they plan to stand with.. the gay guy & whatever Republican candidate he helps to win (by not voting)- who will chop up your GLBT rights with nary a moment of thought… OR President Barack Obama- the President who has enabled gay rights further than any of the 43 Presidents previous to him. Yeah REALLY Tough Choice alright.😉

I should add that I think how it works (DADT) is that if you then announce you are gay, once having enlisted.. that then is grounds for being discharged. Which in essence makes it worse.. because it is similiar to being told: don’t tell us you’re gay and we’ll let you serve.. be honest and tell us you’re gay and we’ll court martial you and kick you out.. and prolly lock you up. It is very much a no win situation for anyone who is GLBT and wants to serve their country. Thus it has become archaic and so so wrong and I’m eternally grateful that it is being ended by President Obama. I WILL not allow the likes of Dan Choi to mess that up by helping to get a republican elected. NO EFFING WAY>

You know, this wasn’t an issue when i went in to harms way. Our biggest concern was….Conscientious Objectors. That’s right, we had people on board my ship that had key battle stations that refused to fight. i’d rather a LGBT than one of those AlphaSierraSierra HotelOscarLimaEchoSierra!

My question is this. When Lt Choi joined the service, were people getting kicked out because they were found to be gay? Wrong, no matter what, but did he enlist in the service KNOWING that this was a common practice? If the man enlisted, knowing that if found out, he would be kicked out, then he lied to the govt, and he did it knowingly.The officer and a gentleman that I would think would stand for this community of servicepeople would be Victor Feranbach(SP) who always conducted himself in a highly professional manner,standing rightfully on his principles of fairness and equality for all who want to serve their country. Lt. Choi is a poor poor voice for the rights of all people to serve without discrimination.He does no service to the uniform….unlike Victor Feranbach.

Negative. That is Master Chief Boatswains Mate-Master Diver, Carl Brashear. I served during the same time as Carl in the same branch. There is a movie out about this man and i chose this avatar as a reminder of the struggles some of US faced in the USN. The ’50s and ’60s were kinda tough but we survived .
NFDYER, Electronics Technician First Class and it was my honor to serve.

Great movie! Cuba Gooding,Jr if I’m not mistaken….though I can’t seem to remember the name of the movie right now:) Well…thank you for your service to your country, and go Navy! My husband retired after just over 20 years….a chief…..I swear he has the fondest memories and would relive that part of his life all over again if he got the chance.

I understand how the Chief feels. In spite of everything, there was something about going to sea that was both exhilerating (sp) and humbling. Regards, and tell the “Chief” to muster on the Quarterdeck and handle small stores.🙂 Fair winds and following seas to both of you.

He loved to go to sea:) Couldn’t get all excited about that around me….(wink) but I knew he loved it…that’s why after the first 10 years when he asked if he should stay or go, I looked at him and said, “What? Are you kidding me? YOU STAY!” End of conversation. To describe it as exhilarating and humbling would be the perfect thing to say….when he retired, he was on submarines. Nothing makes you more humble than that! Scary. Always said he wouldn’t go on anything that sank on purpose, but there he was! Loved it. Served on the USS. KittyHawk as well…..in fact that ship took him away for 9 straight months on a WESPAC tour the first year we were married:) I’ll tell him what you said:) Fair winds and following seas to you and yours as well:) Thanks.

Aye Desertflower. You tell that pigboat swabbie that i salute him. Tell him that’s from a “Tin-can” and ocean “Minesweeper” sailor with 2 WESPAC, a MED plus 2 RED SEA patrols. And we never had enough skivvies.

Nope! When he ran out of skivvies,,,well, it was time to buy more:) Besides, I know that when he came home…they usually were so gross (never white anymore) they all got thrown out anyway…..and I could NEVER get the submarine smell out of them! After many years of him being retired now, that smell of the submarine can still “be smelled” in my nose! Yukky!

A fine choice. I recognized his name as soon as I read it. The service history off AA men and women has interested me since seeing Glory years ago. We were at the Wright Museum in NC last month and I learned about Black fliers.

The pleasure is mine GC. Forgive me for taking so long to reply. i’m still trying to learn how to navigate on this site. Be advised that PBO is standing on some broad shoulders including my gravatar, Benjamin O. Davis, Samuel Gravely, and the Tuskegee Airmen, and others who got it done in spite of obstacles.